Erosion of Mourning and Funeral Customs Among the Jita, Kerewe and Nyakyusa of Tanzania

Abstract

Africa is experiencing erosion of mourning traditions across the continent, and this is a metaphysical and ethnographical phenomenon worth documenting. This study investigated the traditional mourning and funeral practices among three different tribes, namely the Nyakyusa of the Southern Highlands of Tanzania and the Jita and Kerewe of the Mara Region and Ukerewe Islands, to document them and discuss the implications of the erosion. All three ethnic groups belong to the Bantu group of African tribes and therefore bear some similarities in cultural values. Among all three ethnic groups, death, burial and mourning for dead relatives occupied an important place, which included observing certain customs and rituals. These included observance of several days of mourning, cessation of work and reflections on the meaning of life and death, including the fate of the deceased in the afterlife and the responsibilities of the bereaved. This study employed grounded theory because the researchers could not establish the existence of sufficient written sources to support the inquiry and act as a basis for investigation. The researchers used grounded theory, which meant no predetermined hypotheses or theories were employed. Instead, this study investigated the lived experiences of the persons being studied and analysed the data gathered in that manner. This study established that mourning and funeral rituals, which provided both a moment for reflection and mutual support in the groups studied, have been eroded over the years and extensively influenced by economic pressures and declining empathy. This study concludes that this situation highlights the need to recover the traditional positive values in mourning in the communities.